Chapter 57: Formation of the Iron Brigade Part II

Chapter 57: Formation of the Iron Brigade Part II



The organization, equipment, and deployment of the Iron Brigade was something that would take several months to organize. Which Bruno had anticipated well in advance. After all, there was a reason he proposed its creation in October of 1904, rather than waiting for the following spring when the Bolsheviks would have already occupied Saint Petersburg and its port.

As for the Tsar, he was quickly alerted to the formation of the Iron Brigade, and that roughly 6,000 German Volunteers, consisting of an Infantry Brigade, and an attached Artillery Regiment would be sent to Russia to aid in the war effort.

The numbers seemed rather lacking as far as the Tsar was concerned. Especially when the enemy's numbers were quickly approaching the 100,000 mark. And showed no signs of slowing down, but at the end of the day any help was welcome.Fịndd new updates at novelhall.com

In addition to this, the Kaiser also promised to send more "volunteers" should the enemy continue to grow in size and scale. It was unknown exactly the extent to which the German Reich was willing to help the Tsar retain his throne. But from the sound of it, the Germans were willing to send far more than they were initially deploying to the Russian Motherland.

However, a matter of contention appeared when the Kaiser announced who was going to be leading the so called Iron Brigade. With the Tsar questioning the sanity of his cousin for sending the man who had caused these problems to begin with.

Nevertheless, the Tsar received the Kaiser's guarantee that Bruno would make up for his actions in China and Manchuria. And that he would prove to be a valuable asset in the field. One which the Tsar could use as he pleased.

Ultimately, considering Bruno's fearsome reputation, the Tsar relented, making a promise to the Kaiser hat he may end up regretting. Insofar as stating that should Bruno actually play a significant role in his victory, then the man would not just pardon the German general for past crimes against the Russian Empire, but also would reward him handsomely.

As for Bruno, he wasted no time. Making a list of the soldiers, officers, and equipment he desired for use in the ongoing Bolshevik Revolution. He also drafted a uniform for his volunteer brigade. In the 19th century, during the Napoleonic wars, there was a Prussian Unit of Freikorps with a uniform that had the colors of black, red, and silver.

Which coincided with another infamous unit from German History, one that if Bruno had his way would not come into existence within this timeline. Even so, Bruno had taken inspiration from these two units for his new uniforms.

Ones which borrowed this color scheme, and some symbolism from the two of them, while applying it to the uniforms used by German soldiers in the early years of the Great War.

However, Bruno did not issue his troops the Pickelhaube, rather making use of the "kratzchen feldmutzen" field cap. Like the uniform, its primary color was black. The band around the bottom of the cap was also black, but with a red lining. As for the symbol embedded in its center, it was the infamous Death's Head, or Totenkopf used by Freikorps units, and Hussars in the past.

Above the Totenkopf, on top portion of the cap was the Reichs-Kokarde which was a small circular badge in the colors of red, white, and black which symbolized the unified German Empire. Officer variants had a black leather visor and a matching black leather strap.

glory.

At the same time, Bruno wanted someone else in his family to understand that war was far from as glorious and honorable as they imagined it to be. Only his father somewhat understood what Bruno had been through. And because of this, Bruno was more than happy to accept Ludwig's support.

"I trust that you have at least retained some memory of how to operate in the field from your days at the Academy. If so, I am willing to put aside any past grievances we have had as brothers, and allow you to prove yourself in battle."

Ludwig immediately saluted his younger brother, having not expected the man to actually forgive him, or grant him this one last opportunity for the glory he so desired. As for Kurt, he seemed to be mulling over whether or not he should actually apologize as well.

Which, of course his silence caught Bruno's gaze. In the end, he too lowered his head, and

with a heavy sigh made a heartfelt apology. Once he had done so, Bruno too accepted him into the ranks of his volunteer brigade, while also taking a moment to remind his brothers of what

they were getting into.

"Though I am more than happy to let bygones be bygones, and let you two prove your worth

to our family. I must remind you that this isn't some camping trip we will be embarking on. This will be war. And a civil war, no less. You should know that the most brutal, bloody, and inhumane wars ever fought in history have been civil wars.

What I will ask you to do will test your humanity. For the undertaking we are about to engage in, I will require monsters, not men. For to defeat the evil that is Marxism, we will have to abandon our morality, and become an even greater demon to our enemies.

If you can not find it within yourself to follow my orders without question, no matter how cruel and ruthless they may be. Then you should leave now while you still can. Because once you sign up for the Iron Brigade, there will be no leaving it until the war has been won..."

Bruno gave his brothers a fair warning. After all, he planned to show no mercy to the Bolsheviks, or anyone else who professed to adhere to such a toxic ideology. Much in the way that the reds had shown such disregard for the lives of the Tsar and his entire bloodline in Bruno's past life. Or the hundred million plus people who followed them to the grave in the name of Marxism over the course of the next century.

To put it simply, Bruno had no sympathy, no empathy, and no remorse for Marxists. They were as evil as the devil himself in his eyes. And such evil needed to be replaced with death. When it came to Vladimir Lenin, Leon Trotsky, Joseph Stalin, Maxim Litvinov, and the other leaders of the Bolshevik Revolution. There would be no leniency granted to them.

Rather their deaths would be so cruel, so vicious, so ruthless, that by the time this war had been won in favor of the Tsar, Bruno would earn himself another nickname that would strike fear into the hearts of his enemies for years to come.